The multi-year gift was launched in fall 2012 and will be paid through fall 2016. Through the gift, every new mentee in the program will receive a $1,500 award and $10,000 is available each year for the mentees to use to study abroad.

The FWA Mentoring Program was started in 2002. Since then, it has served 154 students and has been enhanced to include other opportunities for these students including the FWA/BMO Capital Markets Undergraduate Endowment Scholarship Program, the FWA Mentee Award, the FWA Clear Speech Program, the FWA Mentee Study Abroad Program, leadership conferences and the FWA of New York Graduate Scholarship in Business.

“Mentoring relationships are proven building blocks for advancing today’s young women on their path toward developing critical thinking skills, becoming confident in making wise choices and growing into tomorrow’s leaders,” said FWA President Kimberly Weinrick. “This partnership between Baruch College and the FWA provides students with access to the valuable experience and guidance of successful women mentors who share the insights and knowledge gained in their own careers.”

This year there are 32 mentors and 32 mentees participating in the program. Halina Karatayeva, a senior majoring in Finance, is a current FWA mentee and says she was motivated to enroll after learning about the opportunities offered through the program.

“What motivated me was the possibility to observe and learn from experts, who have already done a brilliant job and who are ready to share their experience with a younger generation,” Halina says. “It’s good to learn from your own mistakes, but even smarter to learn from experts who have learned from their own mistakes. I strongly recommend other students to participate in FWA”

For mentees like Halina, the Financial Women’s Association Mentoring Program provides one-on-one mentoring of high potential women and has become well integrated into the primary mission of the College. Participants receive a variety of benefits that include individual and professional leadership opportunities through mentoring, networking for members through connection to the broader Baruch Executives on Campus mentoring programs and other activities including Baruch conferences and cultural events.

During her experience, Halina says she has made three important observations: 1. Networking should be part of your daily routine. 2. Participants should not feel pressured to have an established career going into the FWA Program. It’s important to be an active participant and to recognize that a career takes time. 3. Conducting yourself in a professional manner and treating people with a friendly attitude will help you build an excellent reputation among other professionals.

Laura Del Rio is an alumna of the FWA Mentoring Program who is now working as a Partner Development Specialist, SAP FSI Partner Enablement Global Lead. Laura appreciated the opportunities that were offered through the FWA Mentoring Program and valued her experience with her mentor.

“My mentor was very supportive and always happy to provide guidance and answer questions that I could not ask anyone else (as nobody I am close to works in financial services),” says Laura, who earned a BBA in Finance and Investments and a Master of Science in Computer Information Systems, both from Baruch. “The luncheons covering a wide range of career and personal development topics and the networking events provided the opportunity to develop a skillset that I leverage in the work environment far more often that what I learned in my classes. What impacted me the most was to experience the passion from the mentors and the rest of the FWA community. [Especially the] women, who have a full-time job and family who make time to invest in the community, that was truly inspirational and I will never forget.”

The student participants in this program come from families typically without financial means or professional networks. The program has provided immeasurable value by providing both financial resources and the professional mentoring and educating students about careers in finance that their backgrounds and experience would not have otherwise have made possible. The program has also provided the individual encouragement and mentoring that are as transforming as mentee academic studies.

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About Baruch College:Baruch College is a senior college in the City University of New York (CUNY) with a total enrollment of more than 17,000 students, who represent 160 countries and speak more than 100 languages. Ranked among the top 15% of U.S. colleges and the No. 5 public regional university, Baruch College is regularly recognized as among the most ethnically diverse colleges in the country. As a public institution with a tradition of academic excellence, Baruch College offers accessibility and opportunity for students from every corner of New York City and from around the world. For more about Baruch College, go to http://www.baruch.cuny.edu/.

About the Financial Women’s Association:Founded in 1956, the Financial Women’s Association provides a forum to help advance the leadership of women in the financial community. The FWA provides opportunities for women to build their careers, meet industry leaders, earn the support of powerful women and major companies, and contribute to the next generation of female leaders. The FWA’s philanthropic activities include mentoring, scholarships and development programs for more than 6,000 young people. For more about the FWA, please visit: http://fwa.org/